The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins (Discussion)

aphrodite · Post by **aphrodite** » 14 Jan 2015, 23:01

This book gets 5 stars from me! It's 374 pages. This novel made hearts beat and stomachs ache. It's a sloppy, disfigured romance and a truly revealing symbol of society. Overall, a good read by Suzanne Collins on the survival of two poor children from a dystopian world.

Chris Dutton · Post by **Chris Dutton** » 18 Jan 2015, 18:43

JessChristman wrote:I dont understand why Suzanne Collins rushed through the end of Mockingjay. I loved this series and every page I knew I was getting closer to the end. I was sad enough knowing that the book would be over soon, and then she goes and rushes through the end, all of sudden everything was over, everything was fine, Gale was gone, Katniss was happy with Peeta without question and the world was fine?!? I just think that these books were huge and she should have spent more time with the end. Many fans will be sorry to see their favorite characters go after such an intense ride, and now they barely get to say goodbye, there is no closure. =/

I can't let this comment go, although I usually read a thread to its end before continuing.

It was the perfect end to it. She did what was right for her, and the pain and agony was there for all to see. Any more words would have destroyed the ending that was given.

It wasn't the happy ending, it was the right ending, the logical ending, and submitted to the fact that she had to compromise. For her own sanity, or what was questionably left of it.

Gustavsson · Post by **Gustavsson** » 22 Jan 2015, 22:34

Although I loved the first book the most, the other two books flesh out the world more (whereas the first book mostly plays with the original concept of the games and a few main characters), so I like them for that reason. Other than that, they frustrate me because I don't like stories about war and rebellion all that much and so many people died.

DeepakMenon · Post by **DeepakMenon** » 24 Jan 2015, 09:13

Mockingjay - was a great book -and reflected the great strength of Suzanne Collins - originality! The story is clear and concise, as is the buildup of the revolution. And running through the entire book is a clear thread of human emotion, with empathy being the main sentiment. The story demanded that some would fall by the wayside and they did in amazing sequences. Collins built every emotion from raw courage and honor all the way down to vindictiveness into the story .. all in all Collins deserves full marks for her book and is an author who will be long remembered in the annals of Science Fiction! The movie too deserves full marks!
Deepak Menon
(Author, Dehradun, India)

Ams339 · Post by **Ams339** » 01 Feb 2015, 04:22

I have to say that The Hunger Games was one of my favorite books(s). I quite agree with your view - I also like the fact that for me it was very unpredictable unlike other books. I must say that the engaging love story is what thrilled me the most especially since it kept me wondering who she would choose at the end. Still, the plot itself encourages you to keep reading so to satisfy your curiosity especially since for me it was so easy to get attached to Katniss and Peeta. Each and every character mentioned was so diverse and for me it was easy to remember who is who (several people that I discussed this book with seemed to find it hard to remember certain characters which were mentioned later in the books).
Overall The Hunger Games for me was a thrilling book which I would recommend to young adults - LOVED IT!!!

fontsama · Post by **fontsama** » 05 Feb 2015, 16:30

I love the first and second hunger games series. The third one however, I found it extremely confusing. It felt very rushed and all the details got caught up in the short amount of time. I like the overall outcome the book had and all the main events but they should have been developed more, less rushed!

spablo_94 · Post by **spablo_94** » 05 Feb 2015, 16:37

I liked the Hunger Games series. The first one is the best but I don't like the third book. The first one shows how Katniss sacrificed herself instead of watching her sister Prim to be the contestant in the game, which I think is amazing. I liked how Katniss protects everyone she loves.

Gotta Book · Post by **Gotta Book** » 05 Feb 2015, 16:47

The last book just didn't make much sense. The author seemed to not care. She turned Katniss into a sniveling mess instead of the hero that she was. And the true love story was between Katniss and Gale. It felt like she picked Peeta because she felt guilty.

She would have done better by Katniss to have killed her off, IMO.

Totally disappointing after the first two books being so great.

Chris Dutton · Post by **Chris Dutton** » 05 Feb 2015, 17:45

jax2 wrote:The last book just didn't make much sense. The author seemed to not care. She turned Katniss into a sniveling mess instead of the hero that she was. And the true love story was between Katniss and Gale. It felt like she picked Peeta because she felt guilty.

She would have done better by Katniss to have killed her off, IMO.

Totally disappointing after the first two books being so great.

Totally disagree. read between the lines, and it's totally the pain of everything she's been through. She's had to murder, her friends have been murdered, her sister has been chosen, her village and everyone she's grown up with murdered/tortured, whatever. She picked peeta cos he understood, something I'm not sure Gale really would. I'd be broken.

You?

Sad as it may be, could there have been a different ending. Or a different ending without 'selling out'?

Gotta Book · Post by **Gotta Book** » 05 Feb 2015, 17:55

Yes there could have been a different ending. Katniss could have died proud. Sure I hate it when the lead dies but it would have been way better than the way it was.

As for interpretation, we will have to agree to disagree. Because I still see it my way and you see it yours.

Mary_Word · Post by **Mary_Word** » 05 Apr 2015, 07:09

I liked the first book very much. Mostly because it all felt as one big metaphor for out world. I couldn't put it down. Reading the second book I also felt hooked, but you could feel the change, things getting more serious. As for the third - I really felt disappointed. I thinks Suzanne could have found much better solutions for the ending. It felt like she had gotten lost in her own pages, the message she wanted to sent wasn't clear anymore. All in all, I liked the books, they are original, well written and interesting.

ruebaird · Post by **ruebaird** » 05 Apr 2015, 09:26

I am an English teacher and we use the Hungar Games by Suzanne Collins has our book to read for GCSC English. I had not come across the books before they were set by our dept , but my students and my self got in to the dsytopian society throughly, many people have written that the third book was boring compared to the first two books.
The last book the Mockingjay comes with a price as Katniss must come to terms with how much of her own humanity and sanity she can willingly sacrifice for the cause, her friends, and her family. Collins is absolutely ruthless in her depictions of war in all its cruelty, violence, and loss, leaving readers, in turn, repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they've grown to empathize with and love. Mockingjay is a fitting end to the series that began with The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009) and will have the same lasting resonance as William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Stephen King's The Stand. An excellent triology for today .

tiffanynettles · Post by **tiffanynettles** » 05 Apr 2015, 22:58

When I first started the hunger games I was completely captivated. I preferred the first book of the series simply because it set the tone for the series, and the suspence and emotions were more dramatic since it was the first experience with the games. I enjoyed the second book almost as much as the first, but when I read the third book I was a tad bit disappointed. I felt that the author had built up this great heroine in the first two books and then made her almost completely useless in the last book. I understand that she was trying to be more realistic in how traumatic the hunger games would have been, and how it would have driven most people insane. However, I just wished she had kept katniss as this strong, odds defying character from the first two books.

LisaSodder · Post by **LisaSodder** » 07 Apr 2015, 23:21

This was a great book, I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity and the story line.

Amers · Post by **Amers** » 12 Apr 2015, 15:51

I loved the series the third book tied up information and showed that you cannot judge all people painted the same.... one of the first interviews i read on the series was that the stories were written to teach her children about what war is, as she grew up in a military household she wanted infomation available to help bridge the gap beyween her kids and her dad. I think the books do an admirable job of showing not only what war is but how it can tear people, familys, and countries apart.

K08nr01 wrote:Everything surrounding the Hunger Games series has really baffled me. I read the series pretty early in it's release, well before the hype surrounding it. I loved every second of reading it, but I could not believe how popular it got for young adults. When you get down into the nittty gritty of it, the concept is extremely brutal. I am curious if Suzanne Collins meant this series to be for young children...